A WOMAN who alleges she was raped, assaulted and urinated on by a man wept in court as she was questioned about her account.
The woman was giving evidence on the second day of the trial in the Royal Court of 41-year-old Michael John O’Brien.
Mr O’Brien faces one charge of rape, one charge of sexual penetration, one of causing someone to perform a sex act on him, and two of sexual touching without consent.
He also faces a charge of voyeurism, for allegedly photographing acts on his mobile phone.
He denies all the charges.
The woman said she and Mr O’Brien had been drinking together in a flat at the time of the alleged incident.
She told the court she woke up to find Mr O’Brien on top of her, raping her.
Advocate James Corbett, defending, suggested she had been flirting with Mr O’Brien earlier.
She responded: “There was definitely no flirting.”
Advocate Corbett also suggested that she had removed her shorts when she was in her bedroom with Mr O’Brien.
Sobbing, she strenuously denied taking her shorts off.
“He took them off me when I was unconscious,” she said.
Advocate Corbett said: “You never once said that anything he was doing was unwelcome.”
She replied: “Yes I did.”
The court also heard from the alleged victim’s former partner, who had visited her later that morning.
He said she seemed distressed and when he asked her what was wrong she told him: “I’ve been raped.”
He recalled: “She was very tearful and she was angry. I was quite upset and I pushed her to tell me who it was. She told me it was Michael O’Brien.”
A UK forensic scientist also gave evidence. She said swabs taken from the woman’s body and analysis of Mr O’Brien’s DNA gave “strong support” for the conclusion that he had had intercourse with her.
The trial is expected to conclude today. Commissioner Sir William Bailhache is presiding.
